Fionnabhair

• Origin: Irish Gaelic
• Meaning: “white phantom; white brow.”
• Gender: Female

An ancient Irish Gaelic female name composed of the Gaelic elements, fionn (fair, white, bright), and sīabar (phantom; spectre; ghost). It is the Irish cognate of Gwynhyvar or Guinevere

In the Ulster Cycle of early Irish legend, Fionnabhair (often anglicised as Findabair or Finnabair) is the daughter of Queen Medb and King Ailill of Connacht. She plays a pivotal role in the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley), where her beauty and political marriages are central to the plot.

Pronunciation

The two main Gaelic pronunciations depending on the dialect are fin-NOR and FINNA-vare.

Variations & International Variations

Fionnúir is another form. The name appears in early English translations as Findabair and Finnabair. Also, there is Fennor (rhyme with Lenore), the Latinate Finora, and Finvarra.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Findabair
• https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Fionnabhair
• https://www.howtopronounce.com/irish/fionnabhair
• https://forvo.com/word/fionnabhair/